23M
I am fed up with all the commercial treks in Bharat by now. Go To Kalsubai in Maharashtra, and you have to wait in a long queue at the ladders at 3am. Go to any of the famous trekking destinations North and South, the problem is the same.
So, I decided to go on off-beat treks in Maharashtra, Bharat; and what better season than Summer when the sweltering heat keeps the majority of the crowd in their air conditioned homes?
I had been on one summer trek before this, and I made a lot of mistakes then, underestimating the heat and its effects, almost going into vasovagal syncope due to the heat.
So this time, I had been cautious (perhaps a bit more than I should've been). I had 3.5 litres of water on me, in thermos bottles (so that the heat doesn't warm up the water in the bottles). The thermos bottles, although necessary, increased the weight of the backpack drastically. Besides that, I brought a packet of dried fruits, power banks, ORS powder, and a pair of clothes (I had anticipated myself getting all sweaty after the trek).
I had a wide-brimmed hat (the sort which covers the face too), a UV shield jacket, sunscreen, everything to protect me from the sun.
We met at 1 am at the station. It was approximately a 3 hour ride from the nearest railway station. Since the group was relatively small (just 9 people, including the trek leader), one jeep was enough.
So here I was, half asleep in a jeep, which was racing up and down the hairpin turns. Finally we reached the base village. A few minutes in, and I puked, but it felt better afterwards.
We ascended in the dark. It was pleasantly cool now, since the sun wasn't wreaking havoc yet. I was almost unaware that it's summer season. But then the trek leader opens his phone, and tells us, "Folks, the forecast says it can touch 40°C tomorrow morning. I don't want anyone on the plateau past 9am."
We reached the top by 6 am, just a few minutes before sunrise. Until 7 am, everything was fine, I still had 2 litres of water. I was trying to conserve it for the post-9am heatwave.
We crossed the plateau towards the two other mountains, which were actually parts of a fort carved in huge rockfaces. Marvellous structure. Connecting the two parts of the fort was a natural bridge.
"Those were times when Mughals were trying to dominate Bharat. This fort, even if observed from the nearby forts (if captured by the enemy), nobody could track the movements of the Marathas. Everyone will think it is a plain uninhabited mountain range which is, in fact, a war fort. This makes this fort, not only a marvellous piece of architecture, but also a strategic landmark," said the trek leader.
There are many such forts in Bharat, most of them destroyed by the British. Most of them are off-beat treks like this, waiting to be discovered. The trek I went to is also a popular religious site, so although it was peaceful currently, it isn't so during monsoon.
There are a lot of of Macaques at the top. They will trouble you only if you react. Be calm, and they won't do a thing. Pro tip: Don't keep things dangling out of the bag, or anywhere accessible. Keep everything (including water bottles) inside until they are around. If they jump onto you, be patient, just walk normally, they won't snatch unless you tempt them to do so.
By the time we all descended, I had completely exhausted my water supply, 2 sachets of ORS powder. So, summer treks require really good planning. Novice trekkers should obviously avoid it as a first trekking experience. Wisdom shall enlighten me even more and perhaps I'll share those moments again when I return to this subreddit or another one.